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Tuesday, 27 August 2019

IS CRYPTOZOOLOGY A CULT?

CULT: A small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. : a situation in which people admire and care about something or someone very much or too much...

Cryptozoology is a strange obsession in that, the further one delves into the community of its adherents, the harder it becomes to believe in the authenticity of the genre as a true scientific discipline.One only has to trawl through a small social media sampling to become somewhat overcome with portal pushers, paredoiliaphiles, stick sign readers and woo enthusiasts, who are often being unfairly encouraged by over-imaginative enablers, through the medium of likes and shares.For me, my so-called foray into career cryptozoology has been disheartening at times and most significantly, a 'test of faith', of my belief in the possible existence of some of these yet to be discovered beasts. Yes, I said it, 'faith!' The word itself seems to sound like a death knell to my happy hobby. For, if faith it is, then we are truly lost; for anything corporeal that requires faith in order to exist, surely cannot be real?Of course, I do not denigrate the efforts of those scientifically engaged in the enterprise of zoological prospecting, and I know that there are many out there, who have risked reputations and friendships to pursue this passion. But, this genre, in its generality, it would seem, is contaminated with hope and yet, wantonly devoid of detachment.Too many of us, myself included, have 'believed' without counting the cost of the burden of proof, or contemplated how we should build this house from the foundations, up! Setting up schools of citizen scientists and sending them off into the wild, like eager automatons; programmed and ready to collect, collate and not contaminate, evidence of these elusive animals!So, as I go further down the rabbit hole, my secret passion for psychology emerges, and asks me to assess our mental moxie and evaluate our fragile state - before its too late! I am left reflecting on a question that I cannot seem to shake - is Cryptozoology a cult?Written by Andrew McGrathFor more on Beasts of Britain, Check out -Amazon books TeaserTrailerBlogFacebookTwitterInstagramWebsitePinterestBeasts of Britain MapTumblrMerch Beastly Theories Podcast

1 comment:

Good Article, yes we as humans have a natural programming system that requires us to believe in something. However I learned a long time ago I would rather believe in nothing then project onto something that which is not there no matter how sincere my hypothesis may be, I can still be sincerely wrong.

About Me

This is a blog dedicated to sightings, pictures, videos and eyewitness accounts of the many cryptids of the British Isles. Whether it be our Lake and Sea Monsters, Wodewose (British Bigfoot), Big Cats, Owlman, Jelly Squid or the numerous other unknown animals of our interesting and mysterious little island